Billionaire Couple Wins Moth Mansion Lawsuit

Iya Patarkatsishvili and Yevhen Hunyak purchased Horbury Villa in Notting Hill, London, from William Woodward-Fisher in May 2019 for £32.5 million. Shortly after moving in, they discovered a severe moth infestation. They sued William Woodward-Fisher, accusing him of fraudulent misrepresentation. The High Court judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, ruled in favor of Iya Patarkatsishvili and Yevhen Hunyak, finding that William Woodward-Fisher had given false answers about the property's condition and failed to disclose the infestation. The judge ordered the sale to be rescinded, requiring William Woodward-Fisher to refund the purchase price (minus £6 million for the couple's use of the property) and pay an additional £4 million in damages, including £15,000 for ruined clothes and £3.7 million for stamp duty. William Woodward-Fisher claimed he was advised that moths were not considered vermin and therefore not relevant to the inquiry.